the ground floor was silent and their walk outside to Jared's car was equally quiet. There was a con trolled violence to his actions when he tossed her suitcase into the trunk of the car.
"Are you sure you brought enough clothes?" he asked curtly once they were settled inside the Maserati.
"I'm sure your house is fully equipped with a washer and dryer," she replied coolly, taking her cue from him. "And don't worry, I'm capable of doing my own laun dry," she added waspishly.
"Aren't we in a temper this morning." Jared's sarcasm only served to fuel her temper. "Obviously from a lack of sleep."
"Obviously," she snapped, recalling her restless night and the reason for it.
The Maserati sped down the street toward the freeway with a stone-faced Jared at the wheel.
"I trust that your loss of proper rest won't interfere with your duties."
Alex silently counted to ten, then began counting again. "You need not worry, Mr. Templeton. If some crank decides to take a pot shot at you, I'll be sure to be fast enough to shield your body," she stated flatly, staring straight ahead, not seeing his hands tighten on the steering wheel until the knuckles showed white.
"I suggest that the next time you have your lover over for the night, you try to get to bed, correction, to sleep, so that you'll be in a better mood than you are this morning," Jared advised in a derisive tone.
"My lo—" Alex half turned in her seat, all her attention now on the man seated next to her. At first she was tempt ed to blast him for all she was worth. The idea that Jared would assume she had men coming out of the woodwork was ludicrous. Then her sense of humor took over. No wonder Wes looked so smug! He knew exactly why Jared acted the way he did, although she couldn't understand why she hadn't guessed the reason. First a smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then a chuckle escaped, and, lastly, a laugh came from deep down.
"I'm glad you find something funny," Jared sneered.
"Oh, I do," she choked out, now laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes. "I find this very funny."
"Then would you have the kindness to let me in on the joke," he demanded.
"It appears that you think Commander Wesley Hayden is more than just an old navy buddy." She was gasping for air by this time. "Your memory is slipping, Mr. Temple ton, because otherwise you'd remember that my personnel records list Hayden as my maiden name."
Jared shot her a sharp glance, then quickly pulled over to the side of the street.
"He's your brother?" He still couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"One of four."
It was a good thing Alex wasn't expecting an apology, because none came. Instead, Jared grunted something like "I hope you enjoyed making a fool out of me."
"Oh, no," she corrected him in a gentle voice. "You did that all by yourself."
He stared at her as if strangulation would be too good for her. He put the car in gear and steered back onto the street. Silence hung in the air for the remainder of the drive to the airport.
They arrived at the hangar a few minutes before Rashid and his party appeared. Alex's and Jared's luggage had just been stowed away when a long black limousine rolled slowly toward them.
"Madame Page." Rashid greeted her by taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. "Ah, such a dangerous profession you have for so beautiful a woman."
Alex resisted the urge to laugh. If there was one word she wouldn't use to describe herself, it was beautiful. Her features were too sharply angled for that.
"Mr. Kalim," she murmured, inwardly amused by the dark glare Jared was directing their way.
"Shall we get aboard?" Jared suggested crisply.
"How did you rate the presidential treatment?" Chris muttered, dropping down into the seat next to Alex once they had boarded the jet.
"Who knows?" She shrugged, fastening her seat belt. "Just unlucky I guess."
"Hmm, his mood hasn't improved since last night then," he mused.
"Meaning?" She slanted a sideways glance at
"Are you sure you brought enough clothes?" he asked curtly once they were settled inside the Maserati.
"I'm sure your house is fully equipped with a washer and dryer," she replied coolly, taking her cue from him. "And don't worry, I'm capable of doing my own laun dry," she added waspishly.
"Aren't we in a temper this morning." Jared's sarcasm only served to fuel her temper. "Obviously from a lack of sleep."
"Obviously," she snapped, recalling her restless night and the reason for it.
The Maserati sped down the street toward the freeway with a stone-faced Jared at the wheel.
"I trust that your loss of proper rest won't interfere with your duties."
Alex silently counted to ten, then began counting again. "You need not worry, Mr. Templeton. If some crank decides to take a pot shot at you, I'll be sure to be fast enough to shield your body," she stated flatly, staring straight ahead, not seeing his hands tighten on the steering wheel until the knuckles showed white.
"I suggest that the next time you have your lover over for the night, you try to get to bed, correction, to sleep, so that you'll be in a better mood than you are this morning," Jared advised in a derisive tone.
"My lo—" Alex half turned in her seat, all her attention now on the man seated next to her. At first she was tempt ed to blast him for all she was worth. The idea that Jared would assume she had men coming out of the woodwork was ludicrous. Then her sense of humor took over. No wonder Wes looked so smug! He knew exactly why Jared acted the way he did, although she couldn't understand why she hadn't guessed the reason. First a smile lifted the corners of her mouth, then a chuckle escaped, and, lastly, a laugh came from deep down.
"I'm glad you find something funny," Jared sneered.
"Oh, I do," she choked out, now laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes. "I find this very funny."
"Then would you have the kindness to let me in on the joke," he demanded.
"It appears that you think Commander Wesley Hayden is more than just an old navy buddy." She was gasping for air by this time. "Your memory is slipping, Mr. Temple ton, because otherwise you'd remember that my personnel records list Hayden as my maiden name."
Jared shot her a sharp glance, then quickly pulled over to the side of the street.
"He's your brother?" He still couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"One of four."
It was a good thing Alex wasn't expecting an apology, because none came. Instead, Jared grunted something like "I hope you enjoyed making a fool out of me."
"Oh, no," she corrected him in a gentle voice. "You did that all by yourself."
He stared at her as if strangulation would be too good for her. He put the car in gear and steered back onto the street. Silence hung in the air for the remainder of the drive to the airport.
They arrived at the hangar a few minutes before Rashid and his party appeared. Alex's and Jared's luggage had just been stowed away when a long black limousine rolled slowly toward them.
"Madame Page." Rashid greeted her by taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. "Ah, such a dangerous profession you have for so beautiful a woman."
Alex resisted the urge to laugh. If there was one word she wouldn't use to describe herself, it was beautiful. Her features were too sharply angled for that.
"Mr. Kalim," she murmured, inwardly amused by the dark glare Jared was directing their way.
"Shall we get aboard?" Jared suggested crisply.
"How did you rate the presidential treatment?" Chris muttered, dropping down into the seat next to Alex once they had boarded the jet.
"Who knows?" She shrugged, fastening her seat belt. "Just unlucky I guess."
"Hmm, his mood hasn't improved since last night then," he mused.
"Meaning?" She slanted a sideways glance at
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